DHAKA: An American firm will help Bangladesh design and launch the South Asian country's first satellite.

Officials say Space Partnership International signed a $10 million consultancy deal with the state-run Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission in Dhaka on Thursday.

SPI Managing Director Bruce D Kraselsky says his Maryland-based company will design the satellite and hire a company to build and launch it. He says Bangladesh wants to launch the satellite by 2015.

Bangladesh says the satellite would improve its telecommunications services, collect meteorological data for disaster warnings and map natural resources.

Bangladesh says the satellite may cost $150 million. It spends $11 million a year renting foreign satellites.